Thursday, November 03, 2016

Litanei aus aller Seelen

Rest in peace, all souls
who have had done with anxious torment,
who have had done with sweet dreams
who, sated with life and hardly born,
have departed from this world:
all souls rest in peace!

Those who only sought for comradeship here,
more often wept but never fled
when no one was there to press
their faithful hand with an understanding look:
all who have parted from here,
all souls rest in peace!

Maiden souls, full of love,
whose tears cannot be counted,
whom a false friend has abandoned,
and the blind world has disowned;
all who have parted from here,
all souls rest in peace!

And the youth, to whom secretly
in early morning, his bride goes,
(for Love lies in the grave)
to carry away the extinguished taper:
all who have parted from here,
all souls rest in peace!

All the souls, who, full of clarity,
became martyrs to Truth,
struggling for sacred faith
but seeking not the martyr’s crown:
all who have parted from here,
all souls rest in peace!

And those who never smiled at the sun,
keeping watch on the thorns beneath the moon,
to see God in the pure heavenly light
and look him just once in the face:
all who have parted from here,
all souls rest in peace!

And those happy ones in the rose garden
tarrying with their joyous cups,
but then, in one horrible moment,
tasting the bitter dregs at last:
all who have parted from here,
all souls rest in peace!

And those who knew no peace
but still had courage and strength to give
on fields strewn with corpses
in a world half asleep:
all who have parted from here,
all souls rest in peace!

Rest in peace, all souls
who have had done with anxious torment,
who have had done with sweet dreams
who, sated with life and hardly born,
have departed from this world:
all souls rest in peace!